Metal folding chair



J. B. O'CONNOR METAL FOLDING CHAIR Original Filed July 22, 1946 INVEN TOR. ga kmfifllfam WW; Maw/2Z0 Patented Aug. 19, 952

NITED STATES A NT l JMETALFOLDING'CHAI'R 1m B. OConnor, AurorafIlL,assignorjto-Lyon Metal Products, Incorporated, 'AurorayllLf'a fcorporation-of Illinois 4 Original application July 22, 1946,. Serial;v 685,427. Divided and this application February, iv

12, 1948,S.erial No. 7,859

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-142) v v 1 This invention'relates"to'a'new and improved construction forchairs, and moreparticularly to chairsof themetal frame'type; Y Y

' One of the'm'ain'objects of thepresent-invention is to provide'a metal chair, preferably ofthe folding type, which is rugged, comfortable, and has the leg portions thereof suitably braced to provide a rigid supporting framework for the chair.

- Another object'of the invention resides in providing a simple type of cross brace construction for interconnecting the-lower 'portions of the front and rear legs of the chair to rigidify the same. a v

These and other objectsof-invention will be a'pparentffom a perusal "ofthe following specification when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing; whereinz' I Figure'l isa perspectivejview'of a chair'embodying thecross 'bra'ceof the present invention; Figure 2'isa' viewshowin'g the chair'infolded position; v

Eigurefl is an enlargedmletailed view of'the chair shown inFigure l;"*and'; I

Figure 4 showsdetails of the cross bracing and the channel bar into which the cross brace is rigidly fixed.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 685,427, filed July 22, 1946, Patent No. 2,458,095 of January 4, 1949.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the chair in general comprises a main frame formed from a metal channel bar bent into U-shape and suitably braced. The frame member provides two opposed front channel bars I0, each channel bar including an intermediate wall and parallel integral flanges Illa and lob.

The lower portions of the channel bar I form front legs for the chair and the lower portions of these front legs are braced by a cross brace l I.

As shown in the drawing, the front cross bracing member ll comprises a length of relatively heavy strip sheet metal forming a strip-like body in which a central panel portion 1 la thereof is bent forwardly substantially into the plane of the outer face of the front flange Illa and wherein the portions of the stri above and below the panel I la are bent or disposed rearwardly'of and substantially within the plane of the rear face of the front flange [0a of the channel member Hi. In addition, the two end flanges l Id and He of this cross brace II are bent at rightangles to the intermediate portions of the brace II. The brace is preferably of such length that the length of these bent ends is substantially equal to the width of theich'anneljof'the'leg member If! so as'substantiallyto' fill and'fit'within the width of the channel "between the flanges Illa and 1% thereof. These normally bent integral end portions .l le and" lid are preferably riveted asat [If to the intermediate wall portion of "the channel front le'g I Oby means of two rivets". By means of this construction" the lower ends of the legs are rigi'dified by abrace which has; no tendency to turn since the'normally bent end flanges l id and l'lefit snuglyibetween the parallelfianges Illwand [9b, and with'th'egouter faces ofthe bent en'ds ly'ing snugly againsttheintervening interme'diate'wall'porti'on ofieac'h leg l0,'therivets 'holdingthe brace'inpo'sition.

A pair of shorte'r'channel bars [2 and i3 of cross section similar to that of the front U- shaped frame In "are provided asrear prop -legs for the chair, e'xcept'that the channel "portion of the rearvcross brace'lA is extended outwardly substantially in the plane of'the rearface of-the rear fiange [2a, and the upper'and'loweredg'e portions ofthis cross brace I4 are disposed forwardly and withinzthe'plane of the front face of thisrear' flange 12a. The lower portions of these legs are thus connected bythe cross brace M;

The rearlegs l2 and f3 are pivotally secured at their upper ends to the channel members It and together form a rear support frame or rear leg structure for the chair. A sheet metal back I5 is secured to the U-channel H] at the upper end thereof, and a preferably sheet metal seat It is pivotally secured to the frame by pivots ii. In addition, each rear corner of the seat is provided with a projection l8, each carrying a lug l9 slidable within the associated rear channel bar and each channel bar carries a stop 26 for limiting the upward movement of the associated lug. The lower ends of the channel bars H), l2 and I3 carry attachable feet, affording a firm and solid support construction for the chair.

The front and rear cross braces II and M provide rigidifying or bracing means for the lower portion of the legs, and their specific construction provides resistance to flexing or bending, and. also improves the appearance of the chair. The paneling effect is more pleasing than a flat surface at this point and is more resistant to bending. The particular construction is im-' legs.

. 3 hereinbefore described, and riveted in place as at H It is apparent that many widely difiernt em bodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore it is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims. v

Having thus described the invention, what is new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent 1. In a chair construction including a frame providing a pair of front legs, a pair ,of ,rear prop legs connected to said frame, each leg being of channel-shaped formation to provide flange-like walls connected by an intermediate side wall with the flange-like walls of one of the legs of each pair projecting transversely of the chair toward the flange-like walls of the other leg of the pair, the combination of a bracing member for each pair of legs and including a strip-like body having a panel portion offset outwardly of the chair and lying substantially flush with the outer surface of the adjacent flange-like wall of each chair leg for: increasing resistance to twisting' thereof and having end" portions disposed within the channels and substantially contiguous with the inner surface of the flange-like wall disposed outwardly of the chair on each leg, said bracing member including end flanges disposed at right angles to thebody and directed toward the opposite flange-like walls disposed inwardly of the chair on each leg'and being substantially contiguous and coextensive" with the width of the intermediate walls of the corresponding pair of legs to reinforce the samefand fastening means for securing the bracing member to the chair 2. In a folding ch'airconstruction including a frame having a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs having the upper ends thereof pivotally connected to upper portions of the front legs, each leg being of channel-shaped formation to provide flangeqike walls'connected by an intermediate side wall with the flange-like walls of one of the legs ofeachpair projecting transversely of the chair toward the flange-dike walls of the other leg of the pair, each flange-like wall preber including a strip-like body having flat end v portions disposed within the channels and each in contiguous 'planar contact with the inner surface of the adjacent flange-like wall disposed outwardly of the chair on each leg for strengthening the same by resisting twisting, said bracing member also including flat end flanges disposed at right angles to the flat end portions and directed toward the opposite flange-like wall disposed inwardly of the chair on each leg and being in planar surface contact 'withthe adjacent intermediate wall'of' a correspondingleg to further reinforce the same and'lresist twisting thereof, and fastening means fo'r'secuiing said flanges to the chair legs. 1 1

' JOHN B. O'CONNOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES 'rATENTs 

